Unhappy Valley

It’s August in the Capital Region, which means we’re mere weeks from the first day of classes at Hudson Valley Community College, when roughly 10,000 students descend like sheep to slaughter, brimming with belief that HVCC’s the first step to a better life. Fast-forward to Thanksgiving when active enrollment will be cut in half, and the parking lots once impossible to access will be half-empty. But don’t let all that unclaimed pavement fool you, good ole HVCC will be millions richer, thanks to those nonrefundable tuition checks (refunds of 25% end Week 3 of semester). Since 1953 HVCC has gotten fat on the backs of students that have no hope of seeing a return on their investment. And this year a new batch will keep the ball rolling.

The number 24 is two things 1) Kobe Bryant’s game number, and 2) the percentage of students that graduate from Hudson Valley Community College: http://community-colleges.startclass.com/l/2802/Hudson-Valley-Community-College. Tell me anything else in America allowed to function at such a putrid rate? If the high school you went to had a 24% graduation rate that high school would be a Hyundai dealership now. Here’s some more numbers for you. Let’s say 10,000 students enter HVCC any given autumn. Statistically, about 2,400 will earn an associate’s degree. The average in-state tuition is roughly $4,000 per year X 10,000 students = $40,000,000 a year coming from somewhere. Subtract the graduation rate and here’s what you have: potentially $30,000,000 handed to HVCC annually by students who dropout. And every time I drive by the campus there’s another parking garage or lecture center being erected. Easy to see why.

“But, Brian, how’s HVCC supposed to know that students can’t succeed at the college level?” Well, there’s a nifty little document called a high school transcript. If Johnny finished public high school with a 65.1%, he’s probably not going to thrive in Calculus 200 or Advanced English Literature. Do you know what the entry test for Hudson Valley is? Gently place two fingers on your right wrist and listen. If a pulse is present, congratulations you’ve been accepted! I’ve actually heard stories of students who didn’t even graduate high school being enrolled at HVCC. True? Not true? I know, I know: if the kid can’t come to class and do the work, woe is him. I won’t argue that. But, at what point does an educational institution shoulder even a share of the blame? 24%?! Come on.

That’s how it goes at the Community College level, I understand that. It’s a second chance for kids to buckle down and get serious about a better life. It’s the farm system for the 4-year schools. But I ask this: isn’t 12 years of public school enough to gauge a student’s potential in the classroom setting? HVCC has 60 years of analytics that says they’re taking tuition off kids that don’t stand a chance, at a rate of roughly 75%. When the mortgage lenders began hooking buyers into homes they couldn’t afford, the government regulated. How’s HVCC any different? They’re dangling the unreachable dream of something better, then cashing in. Just get Johnny to sign that dotted line, direct him to the financial-aid office, then send in the next Johnny.

Hudson Valley Community College is listed as not-for-profit. If 75% of your students aren’t earning squat for their dollar, you’re basically a for-profit, right? The Enterprise Management Program nets better results than HVCC. At least they give you the tools to be your own boss. And the pot of gold at the end of the HVCC rainbow isn’t much. An A.A. is actually, in some respects, less impressive than just a high school degree. In this society of Education Inflation, where countless millennials are waiting tables with a B.A. in Communications or Philosophy, you honestly believe an associate’s is going to move mountains? I don’t need more kids with paper degrees and debt. I need workers with actual skills who can fix things and make things go vrrooom.

Keep in mind, I’m a member of the elusive 24%. I’m proof that HVCC CAN work. And don’t get me wrong: success stories are out there. But at what cost? I graduated August 2000. It took me 3.5 years to accumulate 60 credits and dropped me almost $20,000 in-debt. HVCC was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. September was Woodstock, the on-campus winters NEVER ended, constant construction, and the Campus Center was a nightclub with soggy French fries. But more than that: college is not meant to be done on a commuter plan. It defeats the greater purpose. The biggest regret I have (besides not shaking Carl K’s hand, of course: http://blog.timesunion.com/brianhuba/the-handshake-that-never-was/191/) is staying home and going to HVCC.

So how did I survive where so many can’t? Much of my motivation came from the belief that graduating HVCC would punch me an automatic ticket to any 4-year SUNY School. Not totally true. Following my HVCC graduation, I had to pay out-of-pocket to matriculate into the English Program at UAlbany. By the time I finished grad school in ’06, I was $58,000 in-debt, meaning my HVCC degree cost more than my B.A. & M.S.

As upside-down and frustrating as my story is, it’s likely best-case scenario for almost anyone who can get through HVCC. For the remaining 75%, well, we know how their story ends. I don’t know whose fault it is, but 24% is pathetic and something should be done, right? Of course it won’t be. Regulation would be bad for the HVCC business model. Are other community colleges regulated? Do they accept anyone with a pulse? I don’t know. But I do know this: when HVCC opens its doors at the end of August, a brand new batch brimming with misguided belief will descend upon the campus, and the ball will keep right on rolling.

Brian Huba

8.3.15

Next week (8.10.15) we meet Hero #3 in the Cat’s Pajamas Hero Star Series

4 Responses

If you did some better research you would probably find that a lot of community colleges graduation rates seem low…

Many students start at two year schools but don’t actually confer their degree because they transfer on. This does NOT mean that they don’t get a quality education.

As far as the amount of loans you borrowed, that was your choice. Are loans an option to pay for your education? Absolutely, but the amount a student borrows is a choice. Students can choose to save money and pay using those funds. No one forces students to borrow.

Colleges are subject to many state and federal regulations so don’t make assumptions before blogging. Do your research next time.

I couldn’t have made a better investment than attending a community college. Sorry it didn’t work out that way for the author. The cost of attending is largely controlled by the state and county, not the college itself. And at roughly $3000 a year when the author attended, it’s hard to fathom why he would borrow so much money in the first place. Also, it is indeed community colleges whose graduates can “fix things and make things go vrroom.” It depends on what you major in, as it’s part of their mission while not so much for most universities. I agree with the earlier poster about the author needing to do some homework before posting.

Wait a minute. $3,000 a year for 3.5 years. I’m assuming you were working which is why it took 3.5 years for a 2 year degree or did you need to borrow for living expenses? Straight tuition would have been $10,500, which leaves a little less than half for books and living.

But how is that $20,000 more than what it cost you for your BA and MA? 58,000-20,000 = 30,000, so your BA and MA together were more.

Note: The Times Union is not responsible for posts and comments written by non-staff members.

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